Bulls weigh offers on Butler
A year ago at this time, the Bulls were debating internally whether to move Jimmy Butler as they exchanged proposals with the Celtics.
Now, the focus is on gauging the merit of the offers coming in for the three-time All-Star.
That’s not to say the Bulls don’t value Butler highly or will trade him. But there appears to be more organizational alignment on a full rebuild if the right trade package arrives for the club’s biggest asset.
As of late yesterday, it hadn’t. And, according to the Chicago Tribune’s sources, none were close. And so Butler remained a Bull for another day at least.
The wild card remains the Celtics, who own the No. 3 pick. The Bulls have been given the impression the C’s plan to use the pick they acquired from Philadelphia this week in exchange for their No. 1 pick.
The 76ers are poised to draft Markelle Fultz. The Lakers are honed in on Lonzo Ball with the second pick and believe they eventually will acquire Paul George in free agency, so there’s little firm interest in Butler.
That leaves the Celtics, Suns and Timberwolves as teams with top-seven picks and other saleable assets to move the needle on the Butler talks.
The Suns hold the No. 4 pick, and are trying to offload the two years and $29 million left on Eric Bledsoe’s deal as part of any trade package, sources said.
The Timberwolves own the No. 7 pick, and have been linked to Butler ever since former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was hired as Minnesota’s coach and president at the end of the 201516 season. The teams had extensive talks last summer and could renew those negotiations this time around, depending on what happens above them with the first six picks in the draft.
Wizards nab Frazier
The Washington Wizards acquired point guard Tim Frazier from the New Orleans Pelicans for a secondround pick in tonight’s draft. The deal gives the Pelicans the No. 52 overall selection.
That was the only pick Washington held. Its firstrounder went to Brooklyn in the Bojan Bogdanovic deal at the trade deadline.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Frazier has averaged 6.2 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds in three NBA seasons with New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland.
Young on the market
Nick Young will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after declining his $5.66 million contract option for next season with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team said.
Young spent four tumultuous seasons with the Lakers, averaging 13.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 220 games. The Los Angeles native realized a childhood dream by joining the Lakers, but the 10-year NBA veteran’s tenure has coincided with the worst fouryear stretch in the 16-time NBA champions’ history.